[HOE] RE: HOE Biodome

[Ralph Dula <rdula@ezonline.com>]

Russ wrote:

>Now my point is this.  Authors of adventures MUST think >of a better way
to advance the plot than beating a posse >up until they surrender.  This
HAS to
>be the cheapest trick in the arsenal.>>

I think it ties for cheapness with the old "Okay, there was this amazingly
huge battle that occured since the last time we got together and played,
and all of your characters participated in it.  You get no experience
points for it, and you have to give up all but three of the items your
character has.  No, I have no idea who you fought or why, just erase all
your items but three.  Oh, yeah, drop your money down to 100 GPs."  Several
TSR modules did stuff like this, with Bloodstone Pass the only one I can
think of by name right now.

>We could have fought our way out of there,
>but the Marshall wouldn't let us because the adventure is >simply written
for a posse that will surrender.  It just >seems a lazy way to progress an
>adventure to me>>

Agreed.  People who play RPGs usually like to play larger-than-life
characters who have a firm control over their fate.  They really don't like
it when the character they've spent years playing and improving gets taken
out by a bunch of mook characters they would normally beat in a second,
simply because the plot calls for it.

-Ralph